Govt plans telecom PLI scheme revamp, may focus on MSMEs and exports

Focus to remain on absorbing more export-oriented segments, involving greater number of MSMEs

The government is planning to revamp the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the telecom sector in a bid to quickly boost exports and incorporate more micro and small units into the manufacturing ecosystem, officials said.

Funding for the expanded scheme may not be a challenge since the Department of Telecomm­unications (DoT) has surplus funds of more than Rs 1,000 crore for the purpose, they pointed out.

The move to expand the scheme stems from the increasing need to set up a full-scale telecom manufacturing ecosystem in the country, and covering a larger set of network equipment will be key to it, the